


Fade and Burn

by blackat140795



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-03-20 10:39:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3647235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackat140795/pseuds/blackat140795
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matching tattoos, received at age 16, mark true soul mates. Carmilla's mark faded three hundred years ago. Different chapters will include different pairings/characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Carmilla

Carmilla had given up looking for love when she turned sixteen. That was the year everyone received their soul tattoo, a mark somewhere on the body that was copied exactly onto the body of the one person in the world you were destined to be with. Your soulmate.

By the time my mark appeared though, it was too late. The tattoo was barely a shadow on her pale skin, already faded almost into nonexistence. Marks only faded when the other person was dead, though they remained forever as a testament to the lost love. That was the last time I cried in almost two hundred years.

It was that despair that led to my Turning, I guess. After that day I was never careful or guarded enough. There was no point. I would never find that one person I belonged to, and who belonged to me. I would never bear my mark proudly on my wedding day as proof that the groom and I were destined for each other. I would never find love. It didn't matter. When mother pulled my out during the ball, I thought it would kill me. I didn't even fight back.

Ell's mark had been faded too. Sitting up late into the night in her room, she would wail into my arms that he had died in the war. I forget which one, they all blur together. I was such a good friend to her. It was my job. But something changed, and eventually it wasn't just because I had to. I wanted to. The number of nights she would cry over him lessened, but the number of nights we would stay up late talking increased. I even showed her my own faded mark once. It was a deeply personal thing, on I never would have showed her if she'd still had a mate. Honestly, she still shouldn't have let me show her. But she did, gently tracing the light pattern that remained.

When she asked me if it was possible to move on, I took my chances. I said yes. That I already had, with her. It paid off, if only for a little while.

After that, I was resigned to my fate. This is what happened to those who were unmarked or who lost their mark. We had missed out chance, and it was our lot to be alone. It was what we deserved. Everyone else in world belonged to someone else. There was no way to reclaim that chance for ourselves. I was so wrapped up in the misery and self-hate that I didn't even realize when my mark started to fill back in.

I hated Danny. I hated how she treated Laura, I hated how superior she thought she was, I hated how she breathed, I hated everything about her. Why this little bunny rabbit Laura thought that going out with the steamroller was a good idea, I would never understand. I was not jealous. I had given that up a long time ago. I just didn't like Danny being in the room I was being forced to share. So I was cruel. I asked Laura if their marks matched. Cutie wouldn't answer, just smiled at me and told me it was none of my business.

I hated Danny.

Laura was too much like her. Ell had broken through my walls by being fragile and soft spoken, but always kind. Laura was almost the opposite. She was feisty and sarcastic, determined enough to fight the whole world to protect someone she cared about. Conversely, her feistiness only made me want to protect her more. When LaFontaine was taken, I could almost see her precious heart break, and it made me wish I really had died that night in the ballroom. Then I never would have caused her this much pain. They all looked to me to fix it, since I had unwittingly been the cause.

No. That's not true. I had known what I was doing, I just hadn't known it would lead me to her.

Eventually I convinced her to sleep. She was frantic to find LaFontaine, but she was also exhausted. After arguing perversely with me for about ten minutes, she finally sunk onto her bed in a dead sleep. I was about to follow her when I noticed her jeans had ridden up, bearing a tattoo wrapped around her ankle. A very familiar tattoo.

A dark, Celtic pattern of intertwined bars curling around Laura's ankle. Slowly I pulled the jeans up around my own leg, where I saw an identical pattern, in the identical place. Lines that had been fuzzy for centuries were suddenly clear, bars that had been grey since 1696 were suddenly darker than night.

I looked up when I heard Laura gasp. She'd seen our marks. Identical, down to the last detail.

I'd heard kissing your one was like fireworks, but I still wasn't prepared for it. It was like everything around us had suddenly caught on fire, but neither of us cared. The fire burned away everything: the despair, the long years, Ell, Mother, guilt. None of it mattered. Nothing but Laura. So I just stayed there and let everything around us burn.


	2. Danny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny had tattoo trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I could give you guys a whole laundry list of reasons why this is late, but instead, I'm just going to say I'm very sorry. I hope you guys like this update, and I swear the last one will not take two months to come up. This one features the lovely Danny, who is probably my favorite character. Enjoy!

It was really no secret that Danny didn’t like Carmilla. So how she ended up being the only person at Silas to have ever seen Danny’s soul tattoo was a complete mystery.

Like a good portion of the population, Danny viewed her soul tattoo as a very private mark. Some people made sure their marks were displayed as often as possible, claiming it would make it easier to find their soulmate, but it wasn’t a very popular view. Trolling, it was called in most circles. Most people still saw an unmatched tattoo as something to private, not to be shown off. Danny didn’t mind so much, and several of her friends proudly sported theirs in public. She had just always dreamed about falling in love with her soulmate first, then having that magic moment where it was confirmed that they were perfect for each other. Then going around, together, matching and proclaiming to everyone that they belonged to each other, so don’t even try.

If anyone attributed the stupidly romantic notion to her, she’d probably punch them, but that was beside the point. 

So she’d carefully chosen her dresses, shirts, and swimwear to cover the bear that roared against her left shoulder blade. A couple partners had asked to see it, but she had always put it off, and they had never lasted long enough for Danny to be comfortable enough to show them. That’s part of why she had been so nervous about showing Laura. Laura was the first person, outside of Danny’s family, to see the tattoo. 

Danny had been so smitten with this little freshman, small but fierce and loyal and brave and unaccountably stupid at times. She was so cute, Danny had almost missed the spine of steel in her. Almost laughed when Laura first said she was going to get to the bottom of the disappearances, because how could anyone this innocent go up against something that dangerous. But, Danny had been attracted to the fire, and agreed to help, if only to comfort the little thing when she couldn’t get anywhere. By the time Danny realized how capable, and resourceful, and tenacious Laura was, it was way too late. They were in too deep to back away from their discoveries, and Danny was too far in love to back away from Laura. Especially give the vampire that seemed intent on sucking all kinds of things out of Laura.

So, on one of the few nights Danny could convince Laura to step away from the vampires, away from disappearances and mythical monsters and danger, Danny showed her. She was desperate, honestly. She saw how nurturing Laura was towards Carmilla, how reluctantly forgiving. How heartbroken she was over the monster’s own heartbreak, even if it was Carmilla’s own fault. It made Danny desperately afraid that she could lose her little fluff ball to that demon, so she made the boldest commitment move she could think of.

And she knew, right away, it wasn’t enough. She’d done it in front of a mirror, so she could see Laura’s face even though her mark was on her back. She wanted to see the awe and the acceptance, wanted to see that she didn’t have to fear losing this wonderful girl.

What she saw was awe, and some wonder. Her mark was beautiful, she knew, though she’d only ever seen it in the mirror. Her older sister had told her the detailing was beautiful, all the hairs textured in, sun gleaming off the outstretched claws. Fierce, was how Lily had described it. “Beautiful and fierce, just like my little sis.” Her brothers had joked that Danny would have a tattoo of a deadly animal, and bet that her soul mate would be some animal wrangler or Marine or something. But fierce was something Danny had come to associate with Laura. Her fierce kitten that thought she was a tiger, looking at her shoulder in awe of the mark.

But not recognition. And as soon as the awe faded, guilt. 

Danny’s stomach had dropped the minute she saw Laura’s, because of course sweet, kind, well-meaning Laura thought that reciprocating would make the situation better. Danny had seen that pattern before, when they’d had Carmilla tied up. She’d spilled coffee, and grudgingly swept Carmilla’s pant leg up to keep her from getting burned. If vampires could even be burned by something that mundane. She hadn’t looked hard at the black band snaking around Carmilla’s ankle, but here it was, repeated on Laura’s. Danny didn’t have a chance.

It took a while after that. Laura kept trying, insisting it didn’t matter. Plenty of people weren’t with their soulmates, it didn’t have to matter unless the made it. But every day Danny saw Laura softening to her monster soulmate, and eventually Danny called it quits. She couldn’t deal.

And then Carmilla just had to walk into the room while Danny was changing for one of their little expeditions. 

She stopped dead, lips tilting into a smirk when Danny went red and started snapping at her.

“I don’t need to knock, sweetie, this is my room.”

Danny’s immediate response was, “Well what if Laura had been in here changing,” but she really didn’t want to know. Really, really didn’t want to know. So she just turned and grabbed her things, storming past the still smirking fiend slouched against the doorframe.

“It fits you, you know.”

That stopped Danny. She looked suspiciously back into the room, and inquired as to what on earth that was supposed to mean.

Carmilla had grabbed a magazine and plopped onto her bed, looking for all the world like she was already bored with their conversation. “I meant, your tattoo fits you. Exactly what I said.”

“Right, because I’m big and strong and could rip your cute little vampire head off, fangs and all” Danny turned to storm out, but Carmilla’s voice stopped her again.

“No, though maybe I’ll let you try one day. I’d so love to see how that turned out.” She paused, and the smirk faded just a bit. “I meant because you’re so protective of the people you care about.” Seeing Danny’s astonished look, she returned to a much more Carmilla-esque expression by rolling her eyes and explaining, “You know. Mama bear protecting her cubs and all that.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I got that.” Danny continued staring at her. Out of everyone in the world, including the stupid Zetas, Carmilla was not who Danny ever expected that to come from. She felt her dislike for vamp girl, decrease, just a little. 

That lasted until Carmilla looked up from her magazine - which was upside-down, hello, not fooling anyone – and asked “are you still here?”

Months later she, Laura, and Carmilla had achieved somewhat of a truce. Danny started to move on. She almost missed that she was getting closer to Kirsch, that they spent more and more time on the case, even without Laura, Carmilla or the wonder twins. Almost missed his looks when he thought she wasn’t looking.

Almost missed the first time he called her D-Bear, and the almost hopeful look he had when he bestowed the nickname on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next and last chapter will be Perry and Lafontaine!


	3. Perry and Lafontaine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perry thinks about how she and Lafontaine's relationship has evolved.

Perry often wondered if the caterpillar over her heart was supposed to represent her or Lafontaine.

She’d known long before they had turned 16 that she and Lafontaine would have the same mark. There was no conscious moment of clarity, no moment when time stopped and all the pieces came together. No pin-pointable moment when she knew. And she didn’t actually know. The two of them had ever asked about the other’s soul mark. They had an unspoken agreement that no random tattoo was ever going to change their relationship.

But even without knowing, Perry knew.

Of course, not all tattoos actually represented the couple’s relationship. Usually there was some connection, if you looked hard enough. Lafontaine knew one couple who met in the navy with matching anchors on their forearms. Many had music notes or symbols, usually the band kids from school. Artistic couples could have paintbrushes or color wheels or theater masks. But there were just as many that were simply patterns, abstract strokes on their skin or simple symbols that seemed to hold no meaning other than to bring the two together.

Perry used to think that her caterpillar was one of those tattoos, that ones that were there purely to be unique and identify her attachment, or relate to some slight portion of their relationship. It was beautiful, a green chrysalis, slightly transparent so you could see the outline of the butterfly inside. It was a work of art, and when she’d gotten her mark Perry had been thrilled to have something that looked so beautiful. If it meant anything, she’d say, it was a coming of age for her and Susan, where they were finally coming out of high school and becoming young woman. Maybe it was just how much they both liked nature, lying on the grass for hours just to watch the stars or talk. It could be Susan’s love of science, representing the nature processes that she loved to talk about for hours. She’d never thought it had meant they were both going to change so very much.

Some days she thought it was more representative of Lafontaine than it was of herself. She’d been so confused and hurt when Lafontaine had started refusing to be called Susan. It didn’t make sense. They’d always been Susan and Perry, the inseparable pair, gal pals (Lafontaine hated the phrase), best friends. Family. And then one day Susan decided she didn’t want to be Susan anymore. And it wasn’t just the name. They’d gone through a phase in middle school where Susan had wanted to be called Einstein and Perry had insisted on being called pear. The name thing hadn’t bothered her until Lafontaine had actually gotten mad about it. Susan had never, ever yelled at her. Lafontaine had. Then the changes kept coming. Next it was the pronouns, and the clothes, and social situations. Perry had liked Susan, but Lafontaine seemed set on becoming someone totally different, and Perry wasn’t sure if Lafontaine was going to slow down long enough for Perry to wrap her head around it. Those were the days she’d looked at her tattoo and known it was Lafontaine, and taken hope that whatever might happen, they were still meant to be together.

Other days she saw herself changing, and wondered. When they were kids she’d just wanted normal. Normal, and happy. Maybe it was boring, but all she’d wanted was that white picket fence and a dog and Susan as a scientist to come home every day and ask her how her teaching went and then maybe a kid they had adopted would come running in screaming about their day. No grand lofts or chances to play in the New York Symphonic or moving to Africa for missionary trips. Simple. Sweet. Together.

Next thing she knew she was following Laura into battle with an ancient beast of death which her vampire roommate destroyed using an ancient magical sword.

This was not what she had in mind.

So maybe it was her changing. Which was slightly less comforting, as it left open the possibility that Lafontaine had a different mark, and was meant for someone else. Then Perry would remember that the only reason she was changing was for Lafontaine. That she only knew how to administer first aid was from looking after Lafontaine a million times this year. That she had accepted the neutral gender after she thought Lafontaine was kidnapped by hungry vampires and having any gender of Lafontaine was ok, as long as they were together. That she had helped throw the dean of Silas into a giant evil pit monster because no one hurt her best friend.

So maybe they were changing together. If they kept hanging around Laura, Perry was willing to bet more changes were in the future for them. They’d just have to change with each other.

One thing she knew for certain, however, was that computer programs couldn’t have tattoos, so no, Laura, she was not upset about JD. Stupid program.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, finally! Thanks to everyone who reviewed or kudosed, it means a lot. I hope you've enjoyed the fic.
> 
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it Stina!


End file.
